Chapter 34

"Where it's supposed to be ... in my hot little hand. Mother, I'm the Princess now. You are out," Vee said. Her voice was vindictive and authoritarian.

Junior and The Wanzor looked at each other. As one they turned to the newly fifteen year old girl and said, "Who are you and what have you done with our Vee?"

"You old hags ... get out of my life!" she said, "I'm running this show now." She wound the watch and disappeared.

The Wanzor and Junior looked shocked, "Who was that?" Wendy Wanzor asked.

"Damned if I know," said Junior, "But it certainly wasn't one of us."

She formed her bubble.

"Where to?" asked Wendy.

"Where she asked me to go before she performed that trick ... Pentwater." Junior said, as the Gypsy splashed down, along with 200 acre-feet or 65 million gallons of Bodensee water ... the German lake barely noticed. The water level dropped about 1 inch.

However, Pentwater Lake raised more than four inches. The excess rushed out the channel taking with it the Lake Constance symbiotic parasite that, by 2110 destroyed 99% of the Dreissena polymorpha, the Russian freshwater Zebra Mussel that had so invaded the Great Lakes. Of course, the destruction of the Zebra infestations spelled the end of the polished vibrantly colored and expensive button and bead industry that had put Detroit Michigan back on the map as an industrial city.

"Why so much water, Junior?" Wendy asked.

"The sphere of containment. Water sloshes ... it's not like dirt or rock or cement. I needed enough water to float the boat and keep the keel from touching and the mast inside," Junior said. "I put us down in Pentwater lake for the flush factor. Pentwater lake was the town toilet for a hundred years."

"Eww!"

"Eww is right."

"I swam in that water in 1956..." said Wendy.

"EWW!"

A small boat putt putted up to the side of the Hanse 630, a green jacketed and badged man knocked on the side.

"Permission?"

"Boarding ladder at the stern." said Wendy.

Green jacket clambered aboard, sort of saluted, took off his hat and gestured at the seats. They sat. He wiped his brow with a red biker rag. "Hot," he said.

"Nice boat," said the Princessapality Water Warden and Boating Enforcement Officer. He was writing in his Offenses book.

"Thank you," said Junior.

"Here's your ticket. You should get this licensed. Sign here."

Junior signed.

He tore off her copy.

"And now ... approximately how much water did you dump in the lake? Don't fudge ... we can do the math and the raised waterline is very visible."

"200 acre feet. 65 million gallons ... more or less," Junior confessed. "Probably more."

The Water Officer brought out a calculator and began to mumble, "485 acre ... mumble mumble ... per cubic foot. mumble mumble ... where did the water come from?"

"Lake Constance," said Wendy.

"Germany," said Junior.

Germany brought proceedings to an abrupt halt.

"Which one of you Princesses owns the boat?"

"What makes you think ... ah ... never mind."

"Only you royals have watches," he said. "Princess Vee has decreed that the Royals are subject to the same laws as the subjects."

"She owns the boat," they said like twins.

"Come, come ... no passing the buck. Who owns the boat?"

"Princess Vee ... Wendolyn Wanzor Austin V."

"Who are you?"

"I'm The Wanzor," Wendy said, "Wendy von Wanzor Austin."

"I'm Wendolyn Wanzor Austin lll. Junior." Junior pointed at Wendy, "She's my Grandma," she said in an almost whisper.

"Shit!" exclaimed the Officer.

"We were just talking about that," said Wendy.

"What?"

"Pollution in the lake," said Junior.

"And Zebra Mussels."